Metro Detroit's Oakland County hails $90 million 'banner month' of development

DETROIT, MI – As spring was blossoming in Southeast Michigan in May, so too were developments sprouting at a “banner” rate in Oakland County, the municipality said Wednesday.

The county said 12 companies either expanded or moved there last month, adding 1,800 jobs and almost $90 million in investment in the process.

It was the most economic development activity the county has seen since it began keeping track in 2004 as part of its Emerging Sectors program, the county said.

“This is truly exciting,” Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said in a statement. “We’re putting the great recession behind us and moving quickly into a knowledge-based economy.”

Among the 12 companies making new investments in May, five are in Troy, three in Auburn Hills and one each in Oakland Township, Orion Township, Pontiac and Rochester Hills.

The county launched Emerging Sectors in 2004 with the goal of diversifying its economy and replacing lost manufacturing jobs. To date, the program overseen 284 companies either relocating to or expanding within the county, with a total investment of $2.7 billion and more than 47,000 new jobs.

According to the county, among the latest companies and their developments are:
"• Challenge Mfg. Company LLC, a leading Tier 1 manufacturer of engineered modular
assemblies and metal formed projects for the auto industry. The company plans to construct a 400,000 square-foot facility in Pontiac. The project will generate a total capital investment of up to $50 million and create 450 new jobs. The Pontiac location was chosen over a competing site in Ontario.
• Rapid Global Business Solutions, a leading global staffing company with its world
headquarters in Madison Heights, is creating its North American Technical Center in Troy. The project will generate investment of $2.2 million, create 110 new jobs while retaining 612 jobs.
• Toyoda Gosei North America Corp., a global automotive parts manufacturer based in Japan, is expanding its North American headquarters in Troy. The company plans to invest $7.9 million, which will create 51 new jobs and retain 200 jobs.
• Mahindra USA, Inc., is opening a new technical center in Troy. The Mahindra North America Technical Center will design, develop and prototype complete vehicle designs to facilitate the India-based conglomerate Mahindra & Mahindra as it expands into automotive markets worldwide. The project investment is $2 million and it will create 112 jobs."

David Muller is the business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter